James Howlett
Real Name: James Howlett Nicknames: The Ol' Canucklehead, Canada, Wildboy Former Aliases: Weapon X, Weapon Ten, Death, Mutate#9601, Jim Logan, Emilio Garra, Weapon Chi, Experiment X, Agent Ten, Peter Richards, Mai' keth Other Current Aliases: Logan, Mr. Patch Status Occupation: Adventurer, instructor; former bartender, bouncer, spy, government operative, mercenary, soldier, sailor, miner Legal Status: Canadian citizen, now permanent resident in the United States, no criminal record. Possibly also holds citizenship in Japan and Madripoor Identity: Secret, known to certain government agencies Marital Status: Divorced Group Affiliation: X-Men, Avengers; formerly Horsemen of Apocalypse, Fantastic Four, Secret Defenders, Clan Yashida, Department H, Alpha Flight, Department K, Team X, Team Weapon X, Devil's Brigade, Canadian Army Base of Operations: Xavier Institute, Salem Center, Westchester County, New York; Avengers Tower, New York City Origin Logan is a mutant, born with his amazing abilities that developed during puberty and later augmented by the Weapon X program. Place of Birth: Alberta, Canada Known Relatives: John Howlett Sr. (grandfather, deceased), Elizabeth Howlett (mother, deceased), John Howlett Jr. (father, deceased), Daniel Howlett (brother, deceased), Viper (ex-wife, marriage of convenience), Amiko (foster daughter), Erista (child with Savage Land native female named Gahck), Laura Kinney (aka X-23, female clone and adopted daughter), Albert (robot doppelganger), Thomas Logan (possible biological father, deceased), "Dog" Logan (possible half-brother, status uncertain), Rina Logan (Wild Thing, alternate future daughter), Hudson Logan (Sabreclaw, alternate future son), Elektra Natchios (alternate future wife), Ororo Monroe (aka Storm, alternate future wife), Kendall Logan (Torrent, alternate future daughter), Istu (wife, deceased) First Appearance: Incredible Hulk (Vol. 2) #180 History Wolverine's history allegedly began in Alberta, Canada in the late 1880's. The man who would come to be known simply as "Logan" (the costumed adventurer, Wolverine) was born James Howlett to Elizabeth Howlett and John Howlett Jr, owners of a large estate. However, in his adulthood James Howlett came to resemble the appearance of the groundskeeper, Thomas Logan, much more closely than his legal father. It is likely he was the product of the illicit affair between Elizabeth Howlett and Thomas Logan which had occured in the past. As the boy was notably frail and prone to bouts of alergic attacks, he spent most of his early years on the estate grounds and had two playmates that lived on the Howlett estate with him: Rose, a red-headed girl who was brought in from town to be a companion to young James, and a boy nicknamed "Dog", the groundskeeper's son. Thomas Logan was an alcoholic and was extremely abusive to his son. The children were close friends but as they reached young adulthood, the abuse inflicted upon Dog warped his mind. Dog made unwanted advances toward Rose, which James reported to his father. In retaliation Dog killed James's pet dog, in turn leading to the expulsion of Thomas Logan and Dog from the estate. Thomas Logan, in a drunken stupor, invaded the Howlett estate with his son and attempted to take Elizabeth Howlett (implied to be his former lover) with him. John attempted to stop him and Thomas Logan shot him down in cold blood. James Howlett had just entered the room when this occured and for the first time his mutation manifested; his claws extended from the backs of his hands and he attacked the intruders with uncharacteristic ferocity, killing Thomas Logan, and scarring Dog's face with three claw marks. Elizabeth Howlett, who was already an emotionally disturbed woman, took her life immediately afterward with a blast from Thomas's gun. Fearing for their safety, Rose fled the estate with James, who appeared to have been deeply traumatized and had somehow repressed or forgotten most of the memories of life back at the estate. Dog falsely reported to the police and James's grandfather that Rose had murdered John Howlett Jr and Thomas Logan. The eldest Howlett, shunned James and, with no family left, took Dog in as his ward. However, Dog was already a burgeoning psychopath and it was too late for his character to evolve down any other path. In the years that followed, James and Rose took refuge in a British Columbia mining colony under the guise of being cousins. James also assumed the name of "Logan" in order to hide his identity. As the hard work of mining toughened his body, and his mutant powers developed, he grew to be unusually strong and ferocious. He was immune to the elements and even ran with the wolves in the forest, learning to hunt as an animal hunts. "Logan" became a valuable and admirable figure amongst the small community of miners due to his hard work and strong ethics, earning him the respect of his peers, including the foreman Smitty, who became a surrogate father figure to James. During this period, James developed strong feelings for Rose, but could not act on them for the sake of their guise as cousins. Smitty, who had been mentoring James all these years, had also grown close to Rose, and the two eventually fell in love and became engaged, much to the scorn and surprise of James, who later accepted the situation for the sake of Rose's happiness. Meanwhile, the elder John Howlett was in failing health and asked Dog to find Rose and his grandson so he could make peace with them before he died. Dog agreed. However, Dog (who had become a physically formidable man himself) decided to track them down so he could kill James. Dog hunted James and Rose down so easily that it seemed he had a preternatural skill for tracking. On the night that Smitty was due to leave the mining town with Rose, Dog (who bore an uncanny resemblance to Logan's future nemisis, Sabretooth) finally found and confronted James. Dog reminded James of his past, and that faithful night back on the estate that had changed all their lives so. The two fought fiercely in the middle of the street and, despite being the physically stronger of the two, Dog was eventually overpowered by the enraged James. As Dog lay unconcious, James unsheathed his claws for the first time in public (to the shock of everyone watching) and was about to deal the deathblow when Rose leapt in to stop him but was accidently impaled by his claws. Horrified, "Logan" held her in his arms as she died. He then fled into the woods where he lived in self-imposed exile with a pack of wolves, presumably for many years. It was not until his first recorded encounter with the Hulk as an agent of Canada's Department H that an accurate account of Wolverine's past began. Logan possessed memories of being a Samurai in Japan, a mercenary operative for the CIA, and a "wild man" in the Canadian wilderness. Due to extensive memory implants given to Logan through the Weapon X program, any or all of these memories are suspect. Logan has at least one memory of meeting Captain America in World War II while he was in the Canadian Army which has been verified as true. Logan's healing factor grants him an extended life span and has granted him the physical condition of a man in his prime, despite his age. Sometime after World War II, Logan was taken by a group of scientists led by Dr. Cornelius as part of the Weapon X program. Cornelius was hired to perfect and use a technique that would bond the indestructible element adamantium to human bone cells. Logan's skeleton was bonded to the adamantium, and he was indoctrinated into the Weapon X assassin program. After his encounter with the Hulk, Wolverine was conscripted by Department H to join and lead Alpha Flight, Canada's government-run super team. During his leadership of Alpha Flight, Wolverine was approached by Professor Charles Xavier, who was looking for mutants to help his students, the X-Men, escape from the island-being known as Krakoa, which had captured them. Wolverine left Alpha Flight to accompany Xavier and rescue the captured X-Men. After Krakoa was defeated, Wolverine decided to stay with the X-Men, for reasons which included that he had fallen for Marvel Girl. Logan remained with the X-Men for quite some time, at one time being their field commander, and encountered adversaries such as Proteus, Magneto, the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants, the Brood, the Reavers, demons from the dimension of Limbo, the Marauders, the Morlocks, and even Dracula on one occasion. After his encounter with the mutant assassin Omega Red, Logan began to question the memories he possessed, but his searches to find his true identity and memories proved fruitless. During an encounter with the mutant Magneto on his space station called Avalon, Wolverine slashed Magneto with his claws. Magneto retaliated, using his powers of the magnetic field to tear the adamantium out of Wolverine's skeleton, causing extensive injuries. These injuries shorted out Wolverine's healing factor for a time, and Logan also discovered that the claws that he believed a result of the Weapon X project were in fact part of his actual bone structure due to his mutation. These bone claws became Wolverine's main weapons until his skeleton later became grafted to adamantium again. As a result of his injuries, Logan left the X-Men for a time. He visited Muir Island at the request of Kitty Pryde, and was also attacked by Cyber. During the Phalanx invasion, Logan and Cable were asked by Charles Xavier to find and rescue the captured X-Men. They joined with Cyclops and Jean Grey, returning from their honeymoon (and secretly the future), and freed their teammates in Tibet. Later, Logan was kidnapped by Tyler Dayspring, calling himself Genesis, who wanted to make Wolverine one of his new Horsemen. Genesis had acquired adamantium by destroying the body of the mercenary known as Cyber, and had planned to recreate the bonding process used on Logan years ago. This time, however, Logan's body rejected the adamantium, and he regressed for a time to a feral-like state. Logan regained his lucidity and rejoined the X-Men. Logan was subsequently kidnapped by the would-be conqueror Apocalypse and forced to fight the savage assassin Sabretooth for the mantle of the Horseman Death. Knowing that he might be able to resist Apocalypse's programming and that Sabretooth would be a very dangerous villain with the support of Apocalypse, Logan fought and defeated his nemesis. As a result, his skeleton again was laced with Adamantium. Under the control of Apocalypse, Wolverine fought the X-Men ferociously in his Death persona. But with the help of his teammates, he eventually broke free from Apocalypse's control. While on the Weapon Plus satellite, Logan was able to access detailed files on his past. However, it was a trap, and only Jean's manifestation of the Phoenix was able to save them. Wolverine greatly mourns Jean's loss and was not pleased with Cyclops and Emma Frost's relationship, but he has remained a valued member of the X-Men, serving on as many missions as he can while also doing solo operations. Wolverine was ambushed by The Hand and Hydra. Transformed into a killing machine and outfitted with several devices, he battled various other heroes. He stabbed both Hornet and Northstar. SHIELD was able to deprogram Logan. While on a mission in the Savage Land, he met the recently reformed Avengers and eventually accepted membership. As a result of the House of M, Wolverine regained all of his memories, finally being able to sort between what was true and implanted. He was last seen traveling to Japan in an attempt to come to terms with his past. He went to visit the Silver Samurai, who serves as a guard to the prime minister of Japan. Wolverine battled with Silver Samurai, cutting his hand in the process. Later, he visited the site of the original Weapon X project, which led to a clash with Captain America regarding a man named Bucky, who apparently killed Wolverine's wife and unborn child. Characteristics Height: 5' 3" Weight: 195 lbs (88.5 kg) (without Adamantium skeleton), 300 lbs (136.1 kg) (with) Eyes: Blue Hair: Black Unusual Features: Animal-like canine teeth, hirsute physique, unique hairstyle Powers Known Powers: Metahuman Healing Factor: ability to regenerate damaged or destroyed areas of his cellular structure far more rapidly than an ordinary human. This is called his Healing Factor. His Healing Factor's speed is in proportion to the wound's severity; for example, he can fully recover from an ordinary gunshot wound within minutes, but it took him several weeks to fully recover from injuries sustained in a duel with Lord Shingen, including one wound from a sword that completely pierced his trunk. It should be noted that Shingen had saturated Logan's body with poison at the time which inhibited the efficiency of his healing factor. However, Wolverine's healing ability has dramatically increased in recent years, enabling him to fully recover from even the most devastating injuries, including brain damage, in a matter of days, if not hours. *'Foreign Chemical Immunity': Wolverine's natural healing also affords him the virtual immunity to poisions and most drugs, as well as an enhanced resistance to diseases. For example, it is extremely difficult for him to become intoxicated from alcohol. *'Enhanced Endurance': limited immunity to the fatigue poisons gererated by bodily activity, and hence has greater endurance than an ordinary human. *'Enhanced Reflexes': greatly improved reflexes allows him supreme movement and reaction time. *'Enhanced Agility': greatly improved agility gives him excellent balance and coordination. *'Weather Insulated Adaptation': He is impervious to elemental extremes, especially cold, to the extent that he can sleep nude in subarctic conditions with no apparent injury. *'Retarded Aging': In addition, Wolverine's healing factor provides him with an extended lifespan by slowing the effects of the aging process. Although over a century old, Wolverine is as healthy and physically fit as a man in his prime. *'Superhumanly Acute Senses': allowing him to see things at distances far greater than a normal human's. His hearing is enhanced in a similar manner. He is able to recognize people and objects by scent, even if they are well hidden. Daredevil has a sharper olfactory sense. Wolverine can use these superhuman senses to track any creature with an impressive degree of success. These senses are actually the result of his constant cellular regeneration, as are his agility and reflexes. Bone Claws: Wolverine's skeleton includes six retractable one-foot-long bone claws, three in each arm, that are housed beneath the skin and muscle of his forearms. Wolverine can, at will, release these slightly curved claws through his skin beneath the knuckles on each hand. The skin between the knuckles tears and bleed, but the blood loss is quickly halted by his Healing Factor. Wolverine can unsheathe any number of his claws at once, although he must keep his wrists straight at the moment his claws pass from his forearms into his hands. When unsheathed, the claws are entirely within his hands, allowing him to bend his wrists when they are extended. The claws are naturally sharp and tougher than normal human bone, allowing Wolverine to cut through most types of flesh and natural materials. Special Limitations: Despite the extent of his Healing Factor, Wolverine is not immortal. If the injuries are extensive enough, especially if they result in the loss of vital organs, large amounts of blood, and/or loss of physical form, such as having flesh burned away by fire or acid, Wolverine can die. Known Abilities: Wolverine has extraordinary hand-to-hand combat ability, and, alongside Captain America and Taskmaster, is considered one of the finest combatants on Earth. Though seemingly brutish, Wolverine is intelligent. When Forge monitored Wolverine's vitals during a Danger Room training session, he reported Logan's physical and mental state as "equivalent to an Olympic-level gymnast performing a Gold-medal-winning routine whilst simultaneously beating four chess computers in his head", which gives something of an idea of the level of sophistication and tactical processing Logan is capable of utilizing while in combat. Special Skills: Due to his extensive training as a soldier, a C.I.A. operative, a samurai, a spy, and a member of the X-Men, Wolverine is an exceptional hand-to-hand combatant, having mastered virtually every fighting style on Earth and is also well versed in the art of espionage. Due to his experience traveling the world and working for various government agencies, Wolverine is also a trained expert in multiple types of weapons, vehicles, computer systems, explosives, and assassination techniques. With his increased lifespan, he has been able to amass an intimate knowledge of many foreign customs and cultures. Wolverine is fluent in many languages including English, Japanese, Russian, Chinese, Cheyenne, Lakota, and Spanish; he has some knowledge of French, German, Thai, and Vietnamese. His exploits have further endowed him with vast awareness of literature and philosophy. Strength Level: As a result of Wolverine's constant cellular regeneration and the additional weight and tensile strength of his skeleton he has great physical strength enabling him to briefly press somewhere between 900 pounds and 2 tons. Miscellaneous Equipment: As Death, Logan was given an armor to wear and conceal his true identity. Normally he wears a standard X-Men uniform or street clothes. His gloves often have grooves in the forearm so they do not tear when he unsheathes his claws. Transportation: Wolverine commonly uses a motorcycle when he is acting as a solo agent. He has access to the X-Men Blackbird whilst with the team. Weapons: Wolverine's entire skeletal structure, including his claws, has been artificially bonded to the nearly indestructible metal adamantium. As a result, Wolverine's bones are virtually unbreakable, and his claws are capable of cutting through almost any substance depending on its thickness and the amount of force he can exert. Due to his Healing Factor, the presence of Adamantium in his body does not interfere with his bones' normal function of generating blood corpuscles. However, if his healing factor becomes inactive, he slowly begins to die (presumably from anemia). The reinforcement of his skeleton enables Wolverine to withstand high levels of physical pressure, giving his muscles sufficient leverage to briefly lift/press several hundred pounds. Throughout his life, Wolverine has used a variety of bladed weapons, most frequently daggers and, at times, swords. He has also wielded many different types of firearms throughout his careers as a soldier, a mercenary, and a spy. Notes & Trivia *Wolverine was originally intended to be a real wolverine, artificially evolved by the High Evolutionary. However, in 1976, Marvel rushed the character Spider-Woman into publication, and unable to come up with an origin in such a short time, used the origin they'd put aside for Wolverine (with the animal changed to a spider, obviously). This left Wolverine without an origin story for a number of years. * Wolverine is portrayed by Hugh Jackman in the X-Men movies. Related Articles * Jean Grey * Sabretooth * Mariko Yashida * Viper (Madame Hydra) * X-Men Recommended Readings * Wolverine: Origin TPB * Wolverine TPB * Essential Wolverine TPB #1-4 See Also * Wolverine's Character Gallery ---- External Links * Marvel Directory References * OHMU Master Edition (Vol.3) #4, 1991 ,MARVEL COMICS GROUP © * OHMU WOLVERINE 2004, MARVEL COMICS GROUP © * Marvel Directory ---- Category:Characters Category:Good Characters Category:Living Characters Category:Divorced Characters Category:Canadian Category:Mutant Characters Category:Bronze Age Category:Black Hair Category:Blue Eyes Category:Male Characters Category:X-Men members Category:Avengers members Category:Horsemen of Apocalypse members Category:Clan Yashida members Category:Secret Defenders members Category:Department H members Category:Alpha Flight members Category:Department K members Category:Fantastic Four reserve members